Classes on Weeds and Pruning/fruit harvesting, taught by Ansalie

Ansalie jumps very unprofessional-like over the table to sit up its top. With the basket at side, she holds up the first weed hesitantly before shaking her head "Wait, 'fore we begin, why don't you all tell me what you think a weed is to begin with? Larisa first... then Dom, then Sydnei."

Larisa glances at the sudden movement, as she was just caressing her gold and bronze firelizard pair. "Weeds are a grassy plant that is good for feeding to runners." She adds,"They also aren't good additives to the stew." She glances at one of the younger apprentices who she caught pulling at a weed and adding it to the leeklike vegetables the apprentice was picking.

Domique smiles, nodding. She knows what a weed is, but isn't sure how to explain it in words. "I agree with what she said." She nods to Larisa. "Weeds are not wanted with other plants, because they're bothersome and tend to overrun places."

OOC: Larisa has to head out into reality. Be back later Sorry to start and not finish this... I'll make up for it.

Larisa walks to the Main Hall.

Sydnei contemplates for a second before she adds her answer, or at least what she considers an appropriate answer. "Weeds are pretty green things." Decisive nod. Yep. "Although the Farmers at Gar never liked 'em for some reason."

Domique smiles at Sydnei's response, nmodding to herself. Here's one that must certainly love farming!

Ansalie nods her head "Precisely correct! As Larisa said--" she pauses, addressing and dismissing the fellow senior apprentice as a journeyman comes by and summons her "the runners feed on them... and like Domique said, they aren't wanted." Grinning, she chuckles at Sydnei "Well, they can be pretty green... but not always. Basically, anything growing out of place, even if it's a crop--if it's in the wrong field, it's a weed. If it's a pretty flower growing in the alfalfa, it's a weed. Now--" and she holds up a boquet of wild flowers and grasses "I picked these along the edge of the barn. Are they weeds?"

Domique conte,mplates this for a moment. "If they were next to the barn... no? Because they weren't out of place, where they?"

Sydnei looks at the pretty flowers that Ansalie is holding as she tries to think back to the few things the Gar farmers tried to teach her about dirt. She didn't really pay much attention to teh grass and such. Dirt is cooler. "I think they could be, even though they're pretty." Everything's pretty to her.

Ansalie nods, taking a moment to sniff them before handing them around the class "Well, they are gorgeous, no? But yes, they are weeds. Because--" and now she looks between each of the students "If you've taken notice of what flowers were planted there by your peers, then you'd know that these aren't the same kinds."

Domique nods. Wildflowers and grasses. She dips her head, startig to understand /what/ makes them weeds.

Sydnei contemplates as she gets the flowers passed to her. "So, if for some reason some aloe or something pops up in the middle of a planted field, despite its usefulness, it's still considered a weed." Interesting.

Ansalie nods her head "Yep, still a weed... doesn't mean that you still can't use it though--it's just the classification. Now, I took these from the greenhouse--" she passes around some bland green leaves with pricklies on them "Be careful with this... weed or not?"

Sydnei peeps at the leaf, holding it carefully by the very edge. Last thing she wants is a trip to the Healers 'cause she poked herself. "Not a weed, because we planted it if it's in the greenhouse." Right?

Domique nods in agreement with Sydnei as she peers at the leaves. "I think they'd belong in the greenhouse. So not weeds?"

Ansalie grins "Yep! Exactly... that's one of the cross-breeding ones that I've been working on." Lifting one leg, she tucks it into her grasp, resting her chin upon her knee "Now... you're probably wondering just how these 'weeds' get into the wrong place to begin with. Any suggestions?"

Sydnei mmmms slightly and peers at the prickly leaf in front of her while she thinks. "Some dropped seeds by an Apprentice, or else the wind took some seeds from another flower or plant and deposited them..."

Domique nods. "Seed sdispersal, somehow. Wind or water... or some other factor." She nods to

Sydnei. "A careful apprentice, perhaps."

Ansalie nods her head "Yep, those are all good examples. Others could be carried by animals on their fur... or in their feces... some seeds thrive that way... they can also remain dormant during a cold spell... and say we rotate a field---the seeds would remain there, and therefore, grow later. Well, unless you have any questions, that pretty much covers it."

Domique shaekes her head quietly. Nope, she doesn't seem to have any questions.

Sydnei shakes her head as well. No questions from this corner. Well...Except..."I don't suppose you could teach us somethin' about planting too. It kinda of ties in with the weeds and such..."

Domique nods her head eagerly, grinning in Sydnei's direction. Oh, good. She's certainly not the only apprentice who's eager to learn more!

Ansalie raises a brow "Well, the craftmaster asked me to tend to the new garden that's being planted out towards the others--if you want to help me with that?" she questions, jumping down off of the desk and heading towards the door, looking back at the others.

Domique stands quickly, grabbing ehr notebook as she hurries to her feet. Though this sounds hands-on and she probably won't need the botw(notes) She grins, nodding eagerly. "Yes, please!"

Ansalie Sneaks in quietly to the Main Hall.

You go to the Main Hallway.

Main Hallway

Ansalie is here.

Obvious exits:

Master's Office Library/Classroom Asst. Master's Office Dining Hall Farm Yard Up

Domique walks in from the Library/Classroom.

Ansalie heads out to the farmyard.

You leaves for the courtyard.

Farm Yard

Ansalie is here.

Obvious exits:

Trail Paved Road Group of Fields FarmerCraft Hall Hold House Barn Lake Animal Farm

Domique comes out from the Crafthall.

Ansalie Sneaks in quietly to the Paved Road.

Domique walks to the Paved Road.

You go to the Paved Road.

Paved Road

Ansalie and Domique are here.

Obvious exits:

Orchard Numbweed Fields Gar Crossroad Fields Farm Yard

Ansalie Sneaks in quietly to the Orchard.

Domique walks to the Orchard.

You go to the Orchard.

Orchard

Ansalie and Domique are here.

Obvious exits:

Numbweed Fields <NF> Paved Road <PR>

~~~~~

Ansalie rubs her chin in contemplation as she takes a detour far away from the gardens "Well, we'll get to the gardens after... those can wait. I was also suppose to prune these trees and pick some of the fruit." she states, motioning towards the empty barrels and shears off to the side "See those shoots that are growing upright on the trees? We gotta get rid of them, and pick fruit while we're at it, but first the shoots." Walking over, she takes a pair of the shears and climbs up one of the trees. "Just gather 'round, and I'll demonstrate, then ya'll can do it too, k?"

Sydnei watches Ansalie shimmy up the tree and shades her eyes slightly from the sun. "What happens if we just leave the shoots there? Will it stud the growth of the fruit?"

Domique nods, watching with a curious air, eyes directed up towards Ansalie in the dreees (trees, rather).

Ansalie bobs her head as she demonstrates the cutting of one of the shoots from above. "Aye. Training and pruning are essential for growing fruit successfully. Fruit size, quality and pest management are influenced by training and pruning too. Untrained and unpruned trees become entangled masses of shoots and branches that produce little or no fruit and harbor insects and diseases, which is by no means, good. Thus, why we have to do this today."

Domique ohs, moer to herself than anyone, as she grasps the concept. Rasiing a hand to above her eyes, she too shields her vision from the glaring sun.

Sydnei nods slightly, her question satisfied. "Untrained...That kinda sounds like a Herder term. Sit tree, good tree." She snickers slightly. Bad joke, she knows, but hey...

Domique giggles at Sydnei, eyes still on Ansalie. She appreciates jokes, however bad, for she's not one to make good jokes herself.

Ansalie chuckling, she grins down at Sydnei "Something like that... now, the two basic pruning cuts are heading and thinning. Heading or heading back removes the terminal portion of shoots or limbs. Thinning removes an entire shoot or limb to its point of origin on the main branch or lateral. We're going to thin them today..." again, she demonstrates, sending one particular shoot down to the ground.

Domique nods, filing the two terms away in her brain for future use.

Sydnei follows the fluttering shoot with her eyes until it safely reaches the ground before peering back up at Ansalie. "I've heard that shoots thinned like that can sprout into plants down on the ground then if we just leave the shoot, wouldn't that be bad?"

Ansalie motions for the others to grab shears and climb the two opposing trees from her "Alright, I think you're ready to start... just do as I do and all should be alright. Though these have gotten a bit bad, I'm afraid, so it's going to be a bit work." Addressing Sydnei at her inquiry "Not with trees... plants yes, but not trees. Though we will have to get rid of the shoots after since they're dwelling places for insects."

Domique nods, absorbing all this information as she grabs a pair of shears and shimmies up a nearby tree. Watching Ansalie for a moment, she begins thinning the shoots.

Sydnei grabs a pair of shears as well as she listens to Ansalie's answer. "'kay." The tree is eyed with trepidation. She's never been much of a climber. After a few missteps she manages to lever herself up into the tree and straight in front of a larger patch of shoots to be disposed of. One shoot is hesitantly sheared off, as demonstrated. After watching it flutter to the ground she peeps back at the group in front of her. "How long does this usually take anyway?"

"Now--" Ansalie pauses in her shearing for a moment's time "Light pruning can be performed throughout the growing season to remove broken, injured or diseased branches and to improve air circulation to control foliar diseases. Major removal of twigs and branches should be done during the dormant season, preferably before active growth begins in the spring. Training and pruning procedures vary according to the type, age and variety of fruit crop, thus why we're shearing these redfruit trees and picking the fruit from those other fruit trees over there. Different growing seasons, you see." Pausing again, she glances towards Sydnei "Oh, s'long as it takes you to do that tree!"

Domique nods, listening and pausing before turning to a nearby shoot and carefully thinning it wathing as it spirals downward.

Sydnei eyes the piles of shoots growing all above her head. As long as it takes her to do this tree. Perhaps if she would stop watching them flutter to the ground it would take a lot less time. Another shoot is cut off from it's source and a second after that. Not so bad, really. And the trees give a little bit of shade.

Ansalie looks up for a bit to observe the others, nodding "Just get it a little closer there--" she points at Domique and then turns back towards Sydnei "Well, they're not going to cut themselves!" she chuckles, holding up the shears and snapping a shoot.

Sydnei pouts slightly. They should cut themselves! They were stupid enough to grow in a place where they're bound to be cut off then they should at least be nice enough to detach themselves or something so the Farmers didn't have to spend the time pruning. A few more shoots are sheared off, making a nice little hole with no ugly shoots. That's encouraging.

Domique nods, taking the advice as she turns to tackle more of the shoots. She begins to feel more at ease with the job as she adjusts and it goes quickly. Though she still tries to be careful and steady in what she's doing.

Oh look. When you actually work and break a sweat, you're bound to finish. "There! I'm all done. When you two are finished, you can join me down there and help me pick the fruit." Ansalie motions to the opposite side of the orchards, dragging a barrel along with her.

Domique nods, looking at her tree and seeing she nearly finishesd. Shimmying a bit highre to reach another shoot she thins it and after a few ,moments finds herself done. She slowly climbs down to join Ansalie.

Sydnei looks mildly panicked. Ansalie's done already? Not possible. A few more shoots are quickly cut. Okay, double time pace. She's coming, she's coming. Really. *cutcutcut* "Umm...I'll be right down, particuarly dense part here.." Yeah...

Domique grins, watching Sydnei for a moment. "Take your time, don't rush because of us." She calls kindly.

Ansalie laughs, looking over her shoulder as her hand extends to pluck a few of the fruits for the barrel "Take your time... no rush!" she calls back towards Sydnei.

Sydnei almost protests that she's not rushing, but decides against it. A few more shoots are cut and she sees the light at the end of the tunnel. The top of the tree. Woo. She continues to cut. Almost done, yea.

Sydnei finally finishes her job and hops down from the tree, managing not to trip in the process amazingly enough. "Okay, I'm done, ready for a new duty." This time she won't lag at the beginning either. Learned her lesson.